Tastier northern sides lie in wait

THE Cable & Wireless Priaulx League are just four more wins away from a place in Europe. Sounds simple, but Steve Ogier expects tougher challenges than Reading posed if the Guernsey league are to go all the way in the National League System Cup, win the trophy and a place in the Uefa Regions Cup.

Dorset were due to play Gloucestershire last night and the winners will host to the C&W Priaulx League representative team in the second round.

Guernsey's progress in the competition is also being assisted - it seems - by a regionalisation of the event, at least in the early stages.

Mark Vidamour, the GFA's director of representative football, said: 'There's nothing in the rules of the competition to say it's regionalised, but the draw suggests it is.'

In both the first and second round draws there is a clear divide between north and south, which is probably good news for the green-and-whites.

Away trips to the likes of the Liverpool Combination or Manchester League, who met in the first round, promise to be much tougher than Reading who resembled more of a Sunday League side, albeit a very reasonable one.

Ogier recognised the inadequacies of Saturday's opponents.

'I think they'd give any Priaulx side a good game. But it wasn't county standard.

'We will have tougher games in the South-West Counties.'

'You can only beat what's put in front of you. I was pleased with the boys that they didn't panic,' he said.

The Jersey Com-bination are already out of the competition, having lost 2-0, and Ogier said it is too early to talk about finals.

Meanwwhile, Rovers player-coach Ian Ozanne said he was pleased with his side's second half response after they twice fell behind to Mariners in their FletcherSports FA Cup tie at the Track on Tuesday night.

'It was our first win of the season and a confidence booster and hopefully it will kick-start our season,' he said.

Ozanne believes his side would have netted 20 times and not just 13, had it not been for an outstanding goalkeeping display by 26-year-old Liam Le Prevost.

Rovers now meet Sunday Soccer League First Division runners-up Tiger City in the first round proper.